Ripple Effect
by bloodle
Summary: Naruto's always found comfort from the feel of water surrounding him. So when he's about to drown, will he choose to come up, or stay under? Warning: Shounan Ai! That's boyxboy Don't like? Blah, Read it anyway!


"Naruto, you idiot!" Sakura yelled as she bopped him on the head, effectively waking him up in the process. Normally he would have hopped up whining and complaining about how cruel and unfair Sakura could be sometimes, but this morning was different. He was tired after staying up all night by Konoha's very own lake. He would always just wade in the water for hours, thinking to himself and basking in the feel of how soft his hair was underwater, and how weightless he felt when he started sinking. He kept his afternoons to himself, and he never shared them with anybody, but sometimes those afternoons turned into midnights, which led to mornings like these.

He kept his eyes closed and feigned sleep, hoping maybe they would think he needed his sleep and leave him alone… unfortunately the word just didn't work that way.

"NARUTO!" The angered teen yelled angrily at his ignorance, and flipped his mattress onto the floor.

"Okay! I'm up! I'm up! Heheh, Sorry, Sakura-Chan!" Naruto grinned brightly at his teammates and rubbing the back of his head awkwardly once he'd stood up.

"Do you know how late you are?! Kakashi sensei got here before you!" and, sure enough, there was Kakashi sensei, standing near Sasuke in the door frame.

"Um… Ooops?" He tried, only to get bopped in the head again by Sakura.

"Hn. Dobe." Sasuke announced, before the team began filing out of his room.

"Hey, where are you going?" Naruto asked.

"We're going to the training grounds. Get yourself together and meet us there or you will be in a hell of pain!" Sakura threatened, but Naruto knew her heart wasn't into it. Team seven was practically like a big, cheesy, clichéd, family, and he loved them to bits. Perhaps he loved Sasuke a bit more than a friend, but that doesn't matter, because Sasuke could never want him anyway. He'd thought about the possibility for hours while wading in the lake, and it just didn't match up, to his disappointment. The thought depressed him, and he'd tried to let go of the bastard, but his feelings only seemed to be growing with time, and it was practically killing the blonde.

It was with these depressing circumstances that the blonde would sit back and think, 'At least we're still friends, right?' and force himself to move on with life. It was tough, but true shinobi never showed their feelings to others, so he kept his tears between himself and the lake, where they could easily be washed away.

He quickly pulled on his bright orange jumpsuit and dashed out of the house with his weapons. The team quickly commenced training once he arrived.

Soon enough, his spar with Sasuke had come to a draw between the two. It had been a while since someone had won, and it was frustrating for Naruto. He wanted to beat him dammit! But his mind was always elsewhere. Such as how comfortable he'd feel once he'd made it down to the lake….

"Let's get some ramen!" he yelled out. It was only 'natural' for him to do so. Of course, his teammates always refused, and so he'd get some to go and head on down to the dock and eat by himself. His teammates hearts were in the right places, he supposed, but when it came to spending time with him, they always had something better to do. He'd come up with the idea that they really could care less about him, but he shook the thought away instantly. He didn't need another reason to cry to himself.

"Ugh, Naruto, try something _healthy_ for once!"

"Should I take that as a yes?" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before the pink haired girl hit him on the shoulder, ending the conversation on her part.

So it was one down, one more to go.

"Hey Sasuke, how's about you and I-"

"No."

And he was free!

"You guys don't know what you're missing!" he said, and fled on down to the ramen stand, leaving the other two behind to part ways.

"Gimme two miso to go old man!"

"Do I hear a please in that statement?" a voice behind him tuned in.

"Iruka-sensei!" he yelled out, releasing his signature grin. He knew he had them fooled. Wouldn't most friends and, in Iruka's case, family, be able to see past these fake smiles and greetings?

…. What if they just didn't care? He mentally shook his head of all thoughts like this. Why was he bringing it up again? Didn't he promise himself he _wouldn't_ find another reason to cry to himself?

"So, sensei, what brings you here?"

"Just heading back to the academy to file some student papers when I decided to stop by and see how Naruto was doing! According to the time, you would have just gotten out of training practice, so naturally, I thought I'd find you here!" he said. He looked so cheerful. Why couldn't Naruto be like that Why couldn't he act that way and mean it, too? What made him so… abnormal?

"Sweet! Wanna eat ramen with me? I was gonna get take-out, but since you're here, then I guess we could-"

"I can't, Naruto, I only stopped to say hello. I have a lot of work to be doing right now," Iruka smiled at him, "But any who, keep yourself safe, alright?"

"Alright." He strained another smile as Iruka sensei left him alone in the ramen booth to think to himself, however he didn't have much time to sit there in ponder because it wasn't long before his ramen was finally ready, and he was walking the streets down to his favorite setting.

He couldn't help but feel that he was being followed, but he quickly brushed the feeling aside and continued on his path, eventually making it to the lake's dock and finishing up his noodles before standing up and making his way dangerously closer to the edge of the dock. He stood there for about a half hour and admired the waters. The way they rippled and created small waves; they were very enticing. His mind drifted off to thoughts of his friends. The whole ordeal bothered him. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't they accept him?

He choked out a small sob, but he ignored it as always.

And Sasuke. Sasuke could never love someone like Naruto. He was a guy. Guys don't fall in love with other guys like Naruto did. And even if they did, there was a very slim chance that their love would be returned. Sasuke… Naruto felt hated. He felt ignored hated, abandoned… It seemed like everyone was leaving him, and the one thread of hope he had, the one person he desperately clung to with all his heart, didn't even acknowledge his existence.

Tears were cascading down his face like a meteor shower. Teardrop after teardrop plummeting down into the lake, making beautiful ripples. The ripples enhanced the water's beauty, and he almost wanted to stay out of the water. He didn't want to ruin something so beautiful. It was almost a sin when he nudged the water with his toe. It seemed to disturb the flow even more. Why did he always mess things up? Why did simple things such as the water's surface always remind him of how inferior – no, how _abnormal_ he was. How useless, invisible, unwanted, and _abnormal_ he was. It was almost like he shouldn't be there.

The tears were getting harder and harder to wipe off with his sleeves. With a quick intake of breath, he took a step forward, almost like he was walking on land, but his journey forward led him underwater, and it was comforting. He felt his tears blend with his surroundings. It was like the water around him was wiping them away. The water surrounded him like a blanket, hugging him like no one else would, and showed him his better qualities; the qualities that would not be there anymore when he left the water. His hair felt soft. It was tangle-free, and it made him forget the normally messy features that he spent hours staring at in the mirror in shame. How could Sasuke love someone as repulsive as himself? Another stream of tears blended with his surroundings, and he couldn't help but think of how amazing it would be to die right there. It would be so peaceful; it would just be the perfect way.

He felt himself losing consciousness, and he knew he should float back up, but he didn't want to. It felt so good at the bottom of the lake. Was this what it was like to die? Why were people so scared of it, then? It felt amazing…

But all of his thought wandered back to Sasuke. Would he care if he left? Would he even look for him? The thought made him want to resurface so badly. He attempted to swim back up, but his muscles felt weak, like they were being held down by the water. He struggled a bit more, but he seemed to be too weak to continue. He opened his eyes wide underwater and saw what he never would have expected. He saw his adoration, his love, swimming down towards him. He saw Sasuke. He called out to him, but his calls were muffled by the water around him, and his arms were too heavy to lift upwards to touch him. He saw him swim ever closer as his eyes drifted shut once more, and soon, he was being jerked roughly up by the arm above water.

He gasped for breath, spluttering and coughing up water as he was dragged up onto the deck. He suddenly missed the feel of the water surrounding him, and made a move too go towards it. He was yanked back roughly to face Sasuke. His onyx eyes bore into his angrily, and his grip on Naruto's arm tightened painfully, causing the blonde to wince. The Uchiha's grip only tightened more and more each second until it was too much to handle.

"Sasuke, you're hurting-"

"Shut up!" Sasuke growled at him, but with the way he said it, he could have easily just punched him in the face instead. Naruto nodded his head downward, and this time, he really wished Sasuke had let him drown. He wished he had let him die peacefully, because now he wouldn't be able to live knowing that the person he was closest to hated him…

So that was it… he hated him. Sasuke Uchiha hated Naruto. The thought practically killed the blonde by itself, but it didn't, because there was still a little bit of hope. Sasuke had to have saved him for a reason, right? He couldn't hate him if he was willing to save him, right?

But now Sasuke wouldn't think much of him anyway. He'd look down on Naruto like scum. Sasuke must have thought he was unstable, an annoyance, a freak, something to throw down the garbage disposal; something disgusting.

He bowed his head so Sasuke couldn't see his face. He was ashamed. He was so, so ashamed.

"Naruto, look at me." Sasuke spoke up, calmer, but he didn't release his hold on Naruto's arm. He couldn't look up at him. He couldn't do it. He tried for a split second, but it was impossible. He'd never be able to look Sasuke Uchiha in the eye ever again. Tears were already forming again, and this time nothing could hide them from view as they dropped to the ground, clouding his vision from the hand that had reached up and grabbed his chin gently, bringing his face up to look at the Uchiha. Even through his shrouded vision he could see the beauty in the onyx-eyed boy in front of him. His eyes held so much pain and regret; it was truly breathtaking.

"Naruto… how could you do something so…so…so _stupid_?" his face flashed back to anger.

"I didn't-"

"Don't try to lie to me Naruto!" the hand on his arm tightened more than it had before, and Naruto whimpered a bit from the pain.

"I swear-!" The hand tightened even more, and he struggled to get away from the grip of Sasuke's hand and the Onyx orbs that continued to glower down at him, "Let go!"

"Not until you tell me the truth!" he growled out, and tightened his hold even further.

"But, I _am_, if you would just listen-" he felt the breath get knocked out of him by a rough blow to the stomach, and instantly, the hold on his arm was released and he toppled over in pain.

His breathe returned to him, but he made no move to get up. There was no point; his heart was shattered, and Sasuke despised him. He hated his guts. Sasuke doesn't want someone who can't take care of himself. He doesn't _deserve_ Sasuke. Sasuke deserves someone so much better than him. He deserves someone who isn't _an eyesore_, he deserves someone who can _beat him _in a spar and be able to defend him if needed, he deserves someone who _isn't Naruto_.

He kept his head down as the Uchiha crawled over him and…embraced… him…

Naruto's eyes flew open. Was this Sasuke's way of saying he cared? Or did he just feel sorry for him? Did he pity him? He wanted to struggle away from him, but he was held firmly in place.

"Stay still." The voice said quietly, and he obeyed, enjoying the few moments of bliss he would have with the Uchiha.

"Naruto… don't scare me like that." His voice sounded like it was… cracking. It sounded like he was on the verge of tears himself. Was he the cause of this? He had to be… He had to comfort Sasuke the way he was doing him right now. He snuggled in closer to Sasuke's warm body, clinging to his arm, and brushing his cheek against Sasuke's forehead. The arms around him clung tighter, but it wasn't painful; it was comforting.

"Naruto, promise me you won't do something like that again…" It was a demand. I was pleading, almost begging in a way that an Uchiha can even beg. Sasuke's breath ghosted against Naruto's neck, and made him to shiver.

"Why?" he asked, but he didn't expect the reaction that he got.

Sasuke jerked back away from Naruto angrily. Naruto's eyes widened a small fraction, and he reached out towards the raven, already missing the warmth that the water could never provide.

"Get the hell away! I could never be with someone who can't even promise to keep themselves alive!" he glared at Naruto, and Naruto nearly broke into hysterics at this.

"I promise! I promise, I promise, I promise!" Naruto chanted desperately. He still missed that warmth. When there was no reply, he whimpered.

"Sasuke?"

And with that, Sasuke's lips were instantly on his. The Uchiha moved his lips slowly, tasting… memorizing…promising, and gaining vigor. The blonde moved his hands up to Sasuke's face and brought it closer, pressing their mouths harder against each other. The last remaining tears leaked from his eyes, and were soon wiped away by his affection's thumb. But all good things have to come to an end, as both boys pulled away for air. Onyx eyes bore into his once again, but the look wasn't angry, it seemed to be something else; adoration.

Sasuke smirked his trademark smirk, "Usaratonkachi."

And Naruto grinned happily.


End file.
